Ports of Auckland dispute

There has been a further
development in the industrial dispute at the Ports of
Auckland.

POAL has announced that it intends to
introduce competitive stevedoring into its Fergusson and
Bledisloe Wharf container terminal operations.

The
Mayor has expressed his disappointment that the two parties
have so far failed to settle their dispute and achieve a new
collective agreement

The Mayor also expressed his
concern about the effect of the disruption at the port to
the Auckland and New Zealand economies and urged both
parties to take that into account.

“I am on only
one side in this dispute. The people of Auckland,” says
Len Brown. “We deserve a port that is competitive, a
decent return for rate payers and a settlement that is
sustainable.”

“My powers to intervene in this
dispute are severely limited by legislation surrounding the
port. However the people of Auckland can be confident that I
am in constant contact with both parties in the dispute and
they are aware of my concerns about the consequences for
Auckland as a whole and the families directly involved,”
says the Mayor.

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